Business Confidence Is Low in Europe's Core

By

Todd Buell

Updated July 25, 2012 4:28 p.m. ET

Economic weakness in the euro zone is penetrating the bloc's stronger countries, data published Wednesday suggest, at a time when those nations could be called on to provide more aid to weaker members.

Germany's closely watched Ifo index of business confidence for July was weaker than expected, falling to its lowest level in more than two years, the Munich-based Ifo institute said Wednesday. The German manufacturing sector saw its current business situation "much less favorably" than in the previous month, the...